Electrical water heater



April l0, 1928.

H. E. DINESON ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER Filed June 1l.- 1926 f l l l l f l l f 1 l f f f 1 Patented Apr. 1,0, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

HANS E. nINEsoN, or BRIDCEPCRT, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE AssIGN.

MENTS, TO MAURICE SCHOLMAN, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER.

Application led .Tune 11, 1926. Serial No. 115,181.

This invention relates to an electrical Water heater, and an object of the invention is to provide a water heater having several features and characteristics of construction which are improvements over the disclosure ot' the prior art, specifically over the U. S. Patent to Nichols, No. 1,056,205, granted March 18, 1913.

A more specific object is to provide an electrical water heater'including a member having a tortuous water passage the whole oi' which is adapted to always contain water, and a resistance device adapted 'to extend uninterruptedly throughout Ysaid tortuous water passage.

A further specific object is to provide an electrical water heater including a member having a tortuous water passage, a resistance device fitted in said passage, and means at the outlet of said passage i'or controlling the flow of water from said member, whereby to lmsure that said passage can at all times be full of water.

A further specific object is to provide an electrical water heater including a member.

having a tortuous water passage, a resistance device extending uninterruptedly throughout the length of saidy passage, means at the inlet of said passage to control the flow of water under pressure to said passage, means at the outlet of said passa e for controlling the flow of water from said passage, and an arrangement for actuating both of the means to close both the inlet and outlet of said passage simultaneously, Wherebyto insure that said passage will at all' times be full 'of water.

With the above objects in view, as well as others which will appear as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement, and combination of parte as now to be fully described and as ereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the disclosure herein is merely illustrative and intended in no Way in a limiting sense, changes in details of com struction and arrangement of partsbeing permissible so long as within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawing forming a l part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevational view of an electrical water heater in which the features ofthe invention are incorporated;

.Fig 2 is a sectional view as on line 2 2 in Fig.. l;

Flg. 3 is a sectional view as on line 3-3 in Fig. 1,; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional diagrammatic View.

With respect to the drawing, 1() denotes a member having a continuous tortuous passage 11 for water, said member being of any suitable, material and shape, but being of non-conducting material. As disclosed, the

member l() is cylindrical and is of porcelain.v

rlhe entrance of the member 10 to the passage 11 is indicated at 12, and the exit from said passage is represented at 13. The continuous tortuous water passage ll includes a plurality of ducts 14 connected at their tops and bottoms by grooves 15 disposed in alternation in the top and bottom of the member 10. The ducts 1-1 are preferably in parallelism, and are located at different distances rom the axis of the member 10.

upper plate 20 and the capl? and between the lower plate 2() and the partition 19. The two plates 20, the'partition 19 and the member l() are preferably tied or rigidily con nected together, and for this purpose tie rods or bolts 23 may be utilized, the bolts extending through registering openings in the several parts. In addition to the tying function, the bolts also serve as binding posts as will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose. of heating the water in the continuous tortuous passage 11 through the member 10 I provide a, resistance device such as that denoted at 24. This resistance device is a continuous coil extending the full length of the tortuous passage 11, from the entrance l2 32 and 33 formed in the valve body 25 all 'as indicated in Fig. 1. Conforming to ports 30 and 31V are valves 34 and` 35 which are of plug and tapered type and do not need to be further specifically described.- The two valves 34 and 35 are normally held in their closed positions by springs each designated 36 and bearing respectively against nuts 37 tapped into the lower part of the pendent body 25. The two valves 34 aud 35 are opened by beingthrnstJ downward, and the means for opening the said valves consists of a spindle or stem 38 supported by a faucet 39 and by a plug 4() threaded-into the rear part of the pendent body 25, the spindle 0r stem havingr an operating handle 4l, and cams 42 and 43, the cam 42 being adapted to open the valve 34 and the cani 43 being adapted tn open the valve It will be evident that when the tapered portion ot the valve 34'is moved below the channcl28, water can How from said channel by way ot the port 30, into the chamber 32, .and the statement applies with respectto the valve 35 and chamber The amount of water to be delivered can be gaged by the degree of movement of the two valves which are alternately opened. ln the lower plate 2l) is 'a channel 44 the outer or lower Vend of l which is in register with a port 45 extending through the partition 19 and lowermost packing 22 and ,communicating with charnber 32, while the upper end of said channel 44 is connected with the entrance l2 ot the passage 11. The exit- 13 ot the passage 11 is connected by a port 46 through the lower Y plate,y 20 with a channel 47 in the valve'body 25, said channel leadin to a cavity 48 having a valve 49 desira ly constructedy and seated in the same manner as the valves 34 and 35. YThe valve 49 conforms to a port 50 connecting the cavity 48 with a chamber ,33` and said valve 49 is adapted to be opened hy a cam 51 upon the spindle or stem 38 which acts to open said valve and allow the same to close simultaneously with the opening and closing of the valve 34. When the valves 34 and 49 are opened, water will flow from the channel`28 to the chamber 32 by way of the port 30 passing through the port 45 into the channel 44 and thence into the passage 11. Such water will then traverse the continuous tortuons passage and pass from the passage by way Aofthe port 46, the channel 47, the cavity 48, the port 50, the chamber 33, and out the faucet 39 for consumption. lIt will be assumed at thisY 'is' provided with the y Y cuit-breaking time that currentis traversing the coils of condition the water as it flows through the passage 11 will be heated by the whorls. 0n allowing the valves 34 and 49 to close the flow oi water will cease, and by allowing.

said valves to close simultaneously, or the valve 49 to close lirst, an arrangement is, obviously, provided whereby the continuous tortuous passage l1 will always be full O f water and all of the whorls of the resistancel coil will be submerged; 'Un' opening the valve 35, w'ater from the channel 2!) can flowl into the chamber vand then through the faucet 39,7and in this latter case the water is not brought into contact of the resistance device. 'lo prevent water passing directly between chamber and chamber 33, the stem 38 may be 'provided with a tapered valve 52 constantly held against a scat in separating said chambers 32` and 33.Y

The device in practice involves an electr-ic switch necessary to be only partially shown and briclly described.

Fastened in some suitable manner to the' ends of the rods 23 the. wires 55 extend lieing connected within the casing 54 to terminals 56 generally made in the form o clips, and which cooperate with clips 57 also located in said casing 54 and which are wired or otherwise connected by wiring 'denoted in a general waylby 58 with a suitable source of electrical current. The switch which cooperates with the two sets of Ycontacts 56 and 57 is denoted in a general way by 59, being ot the double armed construe tion and being rigidly fastened to the shaft 60 mounted in the casing 54. Said shaft alsoA rigidly carries a spur gear 61 in mesh with a practically similar spur gear 62V and cooperative with a mutilated pinion or se ment 63, fastened to the stem 38. The sha of the lower gear 62 is surrounded by a coil spring 64, the function of which is always positively to move the switch 59 to its cirposition at which Atime it bears against a stop 65 in the casing 54 as indicated in Fig. 4. As intimated the resistance circuit is shown broken in Fig. 4, the handle or lever 41 at this time being in its downward position, valves 34, 35 and 49 being closed. To secure a flow of cold water, the handle 41 is swung up to the dotted line position to the left in Fig. 4, and on this motion the teeth of the mutilated pinion or segment 63 will not he brought into mesh with ever, will be opened bythe cam 43 so as to the partit-ion or wall 53 the resistance member 24, and owing to this with' the whorls the spur gear 62. The valve 35, howp add'that when said, handle lis in said upper.

`position without bringing the teeth of the mutilated pinion or segment 63 into mesh with those of the spur gear 62, and I might position, the active part of the cam 43 will 'ave passed out of engagement with the valve whereby the latter will be closed.

To obtain a supplyl of hot water the handle 41 will be swung over to the ldotted line sition to the right in Fig. 4 and during t is action the teeth of the mutilated pinion or' segment63 will be brought into mesh with. the'spur gear 62 thereby turning said spur gear 62, the latter consequently turning the spur gear 61 so as to cause the branches or arms of the switch 59 to bridge the two sets of contacts 56 and 57, and thereby cause the current to traverse the whorls of the resistance member 19 and hencey heat the water, it being understood that when the switch is thrown toits circuit closing position, the cams 42 and 51 will open the valves 34 and 49. To cut ofi" the supply of hot water, the handle 41Will be returned to either of the other described positions and during the reverse motion of `said lever, the switch 59 by the described gearing, is returned to its circuit'openlng position. In case there shouldE be any drag from any cause, the spring 64 will positively move said switch to its ineffective or circuit breaking position.

What I claim is:

1. An electric water heater comprising a member having a tortuous water passage, a resistance device in said lassage, means to control ythe flow of water rom said passa e, means to `control the flow of water un er I through said passage,

pressure to said passa and mechanism for actuatingv both of sai means to simultaneously cut olf the flow of water-to and from `said passage. l

. 2. An electric water vh'ea'ter comprising a member having a tortuous water passage a resistance device extending uninterruptedly means to control the flow of water from said passage, means to control the flow of :water to said passage, and mechanism for actuating both of said means to simultaneously cut olf the flow of water to and from said passage. l 3. An electric water heater comprising a. member having a tortuous water passage, a resistance device in said passage, a valve body having a chamber with which said passage is adapted to communicate, a faucet with which said chamber communicates, a water inlet adapted to communicate directl with said chamber and to vcommunicate with' said chamber via said passa e, means for controlling the flow of water rom said inlet directly to said chamber, and means for controlling the flow of water from said inlet via said tortuous water passage to said chamber, .said last mentioned means being situated between said tortuous water passage and said chamber.

4. The colnbinationas specified in claim 3,

wherein the resistance device'has coils ex tending uninterruptedly in said passage.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of' Faireld and State of Connecticut, this 8th day of June, A. D., 1926.

HANS E. DINEsoN. 

